Packaging apparatus



June 7, 1966 K. G. CLARK ETAL 3,254,472

PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 8, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 lNVEN T ORSKENNETH s. CLARK ROMAN M. TOMCZAK June 1966 K. G. CLARK ETAL 3,254,472

PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 8, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 KENNETH G. CLARKROMAN M. TOMCZAK A TTORNEV June 7, 1966 K. G. CLARK ETAL 3,254,472

PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 8, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORSKENNETH G.CLARK ROMAN M.TOMCZAK A TTORNEY June 1966 K. G. CLARK ETAL3,254,472

PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 8, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 IN VE N TORSKENNETH G. CLARK ROMAN M. TOMCZAK guy KM A TTORNEV J1me 1966 K. G. CLARKETAL 3,254,472

PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 8, 1962 5 SheetsSheet 5 IN VE N TOPSKENNETH G.CLARK ROMAN M. TOMCZAK A TTORNEV United States Patent3,254,472 PACKAGING APPARATUS Kenneth G. Clark, Homewood, and Roman M.Tomczak,

Willow Springs, IlL, assignors to Union Carbide Corpcration, acorporation of New York Filed Feb. 8, 1962, Ser. No. 171327 4 Claims.(Ql. 53-259) The present invention generally relates to an improvedmethod and apparatus for packaging an item such as poultry in a bag ofelastic film. More particularly this invention is concerned withimprovements in packaging whereby an item such as poultry is encasedwithin a bag of elastic film whose walls are longitudinally andcircumferentially elastically stretched about the encased item to form atightly adhering, shape-conforming wrap about the item.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved method andapparatus for simultaneously circumferentially stretching the entirelength of an elastic film bag to a predetermined larger perimeter tothus enable an item to be freely inserted therein having'a maximumperimeter exceeding the normal perimeter of the bag prior to stretching,and for longitudinally elastically stretching the bag over the inserteditem as the bag is permitted to circumferentially contract about theitem.

A further object of this invention is to provide apparatus havingautomatically controlled means for simultaneously circumferentiallyexpanding substantially the entire length of an elastic film bag and formaintaining the bag in such expanded condition, means coordinated withsaid expanding means to convey and insert an item into said bagsubsequent to its having been circumferentially expanded and means forlongitudinally elastically stretching the bag walls over the inserteditem while concurrently removing the circumferentially expanded bag andthe item therein from said circumferential expanding means.

Another object of this invention is to provide in a packaging apparatusfor packaging an item in an elastic film bag having a normal or relaxedperimeter smaller than the items perimeter, means for simultaneouslycircumferentially expanding substantially the entire length of the bagwalls extending between its open end and its closed bottom, means forguiding and conveying an item into said circumferentially expanded bag,and means associated with said expanding means and said conveying meansto infold against the item, movable parts connected thereto andprojecting therefrom, to thereby minimize the maximum periphery of theitem immediately prior to its being inserted in the circumferentiallyexpanded bag.

Another object is to provide in a packaging apparatus having means forcircumferentially expanding the entire length of an elastic film bag,means for readily and quickly adjusting said expanding means to obtain adesired circumferential stretch which is larger than the maximumperiphery of the particular item to be packaged.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe subsequent deailed description taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings.

According to the present invention which is particularly adapted to thepackaging of a poultry item as for example a turkey in a bag of elasticfilm to yield a packaged item wherein the poultry item is tightlywrapped and snugly conformed within the bag walls comprising theelastically stretched film, the bag, whose normal unstretched perimeteris smaller than the maximum perimeter of the poultry item transverse toits longitudinal axis, is simultaneously elastically stretchedcircumferentially along its entire length to a larger perimeter than thepoultry item. The bag is maintained in such circum- "ice tic distentionof the bag walls continuing as the bird is advanced therein toprogressively remove the circumferential stress from the bags bottom toits open end.

In the accompanying drawings like reference characters designate thesame or similar parts in the various views, said drawings showingconstruction details and mode of operation of a typical apparatusembodying this invention and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus embodying the invention andgenerally showing a poultry item being conveyed to an elastic film bagwhich is circumferentially uniformly stretched throughout its length bya plurality of parallel movably mounted stretching fin gers.

FIGURE 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the apparatus drivingmechanism coordinated for conveying a poultry item to an elastic filmbag expanded by the parallel stretching fingers, for expanding andcontracting said lingers in parallel movement to each other, and forremoving the filled bag from said expanded fingers while concurrentlylongitudinally elastically stretching the bag over the poultry.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of the bag stretching fingersof the apparatus in their closed position with an elastic film bag inits relaxed state loosely sheathed thereon with the fingers interiorlyextending to the bag bottom, and with a pair of wing guide platesretracted from the stretching fingers.

FIGURE 4 is a section along the line 44 of FIG- URE 3.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary side elevation of the bag stretching fingersin their opened or expanded position with the bag elastically expandedand the paired wing guide plates each advanced upwardly and abuttingagainst the bottom and adjacent side fingers.

FIGURE 6 is a section along the line 6-6 of FIG- URE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 5, illustrating however, the entryof the poultry into the expanded bag and with the wing plates retracteddownwardly to permit the passage between the bottom finger and eachadjacent side finger of a bar on which is attached a shaped pusher cup.

FZGURE 8 is a section along the line 8-8 of FIG- URE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary perspective view of the apparatus feed troughand paired vertical guide plates for delivering a poultry item in axialalignment to an elastic film bag circumferentially stretched by aparallel operating stretching finger assembly.

The improved packaging apparatus of this invention as generally shown inFIGURES 1 and 2, comprises a rigid mainframe it supported by attachedlegs 12, a poultry receiving and feeding trough 14, a conveyor drivearrangement for transporting a poultry item along said trough and into acircumferentially expanded elastic film bag 11, and a cam actuatedfinger assembly means generally indicated by 29 for elasticallyexpanding said bag 11. -An electric motor 16 housed in a variable speeddrive mechanism 15, drives roller chain 23 connected to main drive shaft25 actuating the conveyor and the finger '3 assembly 20. On main driveshaft 25 is mounted driving sprockets 28 for the conveyor roller chainand a driving sprocket 29 for the finger assembly drive.

The conveyor means comprises, a continuously advancing pair of sprocketdriven spaced endless roller chains 17, 18 having attached thereto oneor more transversely connected bars 19, each having a centrally mountedpusher plate 21 appropriately cup shaped to engage a poultry item andpush it into a circumferentially expanded bag 11, positioned on thefinger assembly 29.

The finger assembly 20 is actuated by roller chain 31 driving a sprocket73 keyed on cam containing shaft 71. An idler sprocket assembly 35 isused to eliminate slack in roller chain 31.

The elongated poultry receiving trough 14 as more particularly shown bythe perspective illustration in FIG- URE 9 is affixed to the topof frame10. The trough 14 terminates at the entrance to the bag stretchingfinger assembly means 20. A pair of vertically mounted guide plates 22,are each pivotally attached on frame It to extend a substantial distancealong trough 14. The vertical guide plates form a tapered passage withits smaller end terminating at the entrance to finger assembly 20, toposition the bird into longitudinal alignment with this trough, as it isbeing conveyed breast portion first, to the passage formed by fingerassembly 20 in its expanded position. The vertical guide plates 22 areinwardly pivotally urged toward each other by a compression springloaded clevis pin assembly 24, said spring loading yielding to permitthe plates to swing away from each other upon passage therethrough of abird of larger dimensions than the tapered passage.

The bag stretching finger assembly 20 comprises an upper, arcuateshaped, extended metal finger 26 preferably having smooth polishedsurfaces to avoid abrasion and/ or tearing of the bag film and poultryitem, and having sanitary surfaces, as for example stainless steel orchromium plated surfaces.

As more particularly shown in FIGURES 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, the entry end 27of upper finger 26 is curved upwardly, which in conjunction with similarcurved entrance portions of the cooperating bottom finger and I sidefingers provides a tapered entrance to the passageway formed by saidfingers. The upper finger 26 is clevis pin attached to an actuating linkbar 30 and parallel idler link bar 32 of equal dimensions to provide avertical parallel movement of the finger 26 with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the passage formed by the several fingers throughwhich the poultry item is conveyed into the elastic film bag. Actuatinglink bar 30 is fixedly attached to a movable shaft 34 supported in endbearings located in a pair of opposed upright frame members 37. Idlerlink bar 32 is fastened to a movable shaft 38 rotatably supported by endbearings integral with upright frame members 37. A torsion actuatingcoil spring 42 is afiixed to the upright frame member 37 and its otherend is affixed to actuating link bar 30 in such manner that it normallyurges the upper finger 26 in a downward parallel direction.

A pair of side fingers 44, 46, similar in shape and length to upperfinger 26 coact with the upper finger 26 and a bottom finger 62, to forma central passage for the poultry item. Side finger 44 is parallelmounted and is parallel horizontally movable with respect to thelongitudinal axis of the central passage by a pair of equal length linkbars pivotally connected thereto, one of which is an actuating link bar48 and the other is an idler link bar 50, rotatably supported on avertically mounted shaft 51. The actuating link bar 48 is affixed to avertical mounted driven shaft 52 rotating in bearings (not shown)affixed to upright frame member 37. A torsion actuating coil spring 54coaxially mounted on shaft 52, normally tends to resiliently urge theactuating link bar 48 and its attached stretching finger 44 horizontallytoward the central passage. Similarly side stretching finger 46 ispivotally aflixed in parallel relationship to.

an actuating link bar 56 and an idler link bar 58. Actuating link bar 56is affixed to a vertically mounted driven shaft 69 rotating in bearingsaffixed to the other -upright frame member 37 A lower or bottom finger62 having a length and an arcuate cross-sectional shape similar to thepreviously escribed fingers is parallel pivotally supported on itsbottom side by pin fasteners to a pair of equal length link bars,actuating link bar 64 being driven by its connection to a driven shaft66 and idler link bar 68 functioning as a parallel idler which is freelyrotatably mounted on horizontal shaft 70.

Reference is now made to FIGURES 1, and 3 to 8 inclusive. In order toprevent normally projecting wing parts of the poultry item from beingsnagged or caught in the open spaces between the bottom finger 62 andeach adjacent side finger 44, 46, when they are in their expandedposition, such spaces, during the interim that the wing portions aremoving between the tapered entrance formed by the curved end portions offingers 26, 44, 46 and 62 and the open end of the stretched bag arebridged over or spanned by a pair of transversely tiltably mountedfiatmetal wing plates 72, 74, also having outwardly curved end portionssimilar to those on the bag stretching fingers 26, 44, 46 and 62 andmating therewith.

As shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, the wing plates 72, 74 are retracteddownwardly in parallel movement from their tilted mating position withthe bag stretching fingers 46, 62, 44 after the Winged portion of thepoultry item has entered the bags open end. The open spaces betweenbottom finger 62 and side fingers 44, 46 providefor a clearance passageat this operational sequence, through which the connecting bar 19 canpass. Moreover, it should be noted that as shown in FIGURE 7, theconnecting bar engages the open end terminal edges of the elastic filmbag 11 and provides a positive stripping action in removing the balanceof the bag from the finger assembly 20. This positive stripping actionby connecting bar 19, prevents excessive longitudinal stretching of thebag walls or occasional breakage thereof in those instances where thebag has been excessively circumferentially stretched or otherwiseelastically clings to the outer surfaces of the fingers with such forceas to resist slidable movement thereover by the pushing action exertedthereon by the encased poultry item.

The mating and retracting movement of wing plates 72, 74 is controlledby their parallel pivoted connections to actuating bell crank levers 76,78,'respectively, and by idler bar links 80, 82, respectively. Bellcrank levers 76, 78 are each freely rotatably pivoted on driven shaft66. The idler bar links 80, 82 are freely rotatably pivoted onhorizontal shaft 70. Coiled tension springs '84 connected to hell cranks76, 78 resiliently urge the wing plates 72, 74 to their mating positionwith the side fingers 44, 46 and bottom finger 62. Bell cranks 76, 78are respectively pivotally connected through intermediate links 86, 88to cam actuated bell cranks 90, 92 which are freely pivoted on shaft'77. Cam followers 94, 96 respectively attached to hell cranks 90, 92rotatably bear against the contoured surfaces of cams 98, 100 which arekeyed to a driven cam shaft 71.

Also attached to near one end of and driven by cam shaft 71 is acontoured cam 102 against whose contoured surface rides a cam follower104 which is connected to a bar lever 1% that is fastened to a bevelgear 108 keyed on horizontal shaft 77. Bevel gear 108 mates with a bevelgear 109 keyed on the lower end of vertical shaft 52. Rotation of camshaft '71 in the indicated counterclockwise direction results in barlever 106 rotating bevel gear 1&8 and shaft 77 in a clockwise directionand with mating bevel gear 109 and its shaft 52 rotating in acounterclockwise direction, thus causing the driven link bar 48 attachedto side finger 44 to move the finger outwardly and away from the otherfingers.

Opposite side finger 46 is concurrently moved outward- 1y by means of abevel gear 111 keyed to horizontal shaft 77 and mating with a bevel gear113 keyed to vertical shaft 60 to which is attached driven link bar 56that is pivotally connected to side finger 46.

As the side fingers 44, 46 are being moved parallel outwardly, thebottom or base finger 62 and upper or top finger 26 are also being movedparallel away from each other by means of a spur gear 115 freelyrotatable on horizontal shaft 77 and mating with a spur gear 117 keyedto horizontal shaft 66. Spm gear 115 is attached to and driven by leverarm 121 having a cam follower 123 hearing against the contoured camsurface of a cam 127 keyed to cam shaft 71. counterclockwise rotation ofshaft 66 moves link bar 64 attached thereto downwardly, whereby bottomfinger 62 is moved away and parallel downwardly from top finger 62. Thesam horizontal shaft 66 moves a lever arm 120 attached thereto in anupward direction. The upward motion of lever arm 120 is transmitted by aconnecting bar 122 clevis pin fastened at one end of lever 120 and atits other end to a lever arm 124 fastened to horizontal shaft 34, whichaccordingly rotates in a clockwise direction to cause actuating link 30to move upper finger 26 in an upward and parallel direction with respectto bottom finger 62.

Means for quickly adjusting the extent to which the stretching fingerson the assembly 20 are outwardly moved is provided for by two spacedrack and pinion assemblies generally indicated by 126, 126' eachcomprising a pillow block bearing 128 fastened to a rack slide plate 130which is gibbed in a slide block 132. Cam shaft 71 is rotatablysupported by pillow block bearings 128. Pinions 134 keyed to ahorizontal shaft 136 meshes with the rack surface of slide plate 130.Pinion shaft 136 is turned by hand lever 138 fastenedthereto.Counterclockwise rotation of hand lever 138 moves rack slide plate 130and cam shaft 71 toward cam actuated levers 90, 92, 106, 121, therebyincreasing their rotational amplitude and correspondingly the extent towhich all the stretching fingers are moved outwardly; whereas clockwiserotation of hand lever 138 correspondingly reduces the extent of theparallel expansion movement of the fingers. Locking means (not shown)are provided to maintain a selected adjustment position of the rackslide plate 130.

An important feature of the herein described apparatus is the parallelmovement of the several stretching fingers with respect to each otherand the passage therethrough. Thus, with the fingers in their parallelcollapsed position, as shown in FIGURE 3, the entire length of anelastic film bag having a normal or relaxed circumference larger thanthe collapsed or retracted fingers can be fully sheathed over fingers ofconsiderably shorter length than the bag. As a consqeuence, nolongitudinal movement of the bag occurs along the fingers when the bagis circumferentially expanded, nor is there any requirement for theoperator to manually hold the bag in position during the bag expansionstep to prevent it from slipping off the fingers. Moreover, due to theabsence of any significant longitudinal movement by the bag, it issubstantially uniformly circumferentially expanded throughout itslength. This has not been possible heretofore with non-parallel mountedand/or movable stretching fingers.

The bags can be formed from seamless tubing the the closed bottom madeby a straight across or-arcuate heat-seal. The invention, however, isnot restricted to the use of bags made from seamless'tubing but isequally applicable to bags made from film having a longitudinal seamobtained by overlapping the films marginal edges, as well as bags madeby sealing the edges of two superimposed film layers.

It will be observed as shown in FIGURE 8, that the circumferentiallystretched bag, by virtue of the arcuate shape of the stretching fingersand the spacings therebetween, assumes a cross-sectional shape in closesimulation of the largest cross-sectional portion of the poultry item.In the decribed embodiment, the bottom finger 62 is parallel moved fromthe central axis of the passage proportionally less than the sidefingers 44, 46, whereas the top finger 26 is parallel moved fore thantheside fingers. Such differential movement of the fingers forms the shapedpassage and the bag, with a relatively high top arch (conforming to thekeelbone or breast bone portion of a torn turkey), equally spaced curvedsides and gently rounded bottom. By modifications of the fingers arcuatecross-section, and adjustment of the radial throw of the lever armsattached to the fingers, the shaped passage can be readily changed toconform with the largest cross-sectionm area of the item to be packaged.

The principles of this invention are not restricted to the packaging ofpoultry items, but are also applicable to the elastic film packaging ofnumerous other items including hams, rib roasts, pork loins, bananahands and melons, that are characterized by sufficient rigidity to beconveyed through the passage formed by the expanded fingers and toforcibly remove the elastically expanded bag from the stretchingfingers.

What is claimed is: I

1. An apparatus adapted for packaging an item having attached projectingmovable parts in a bag of elastic film, comprising, a plurality ofparallel movable fingers forming a conforming passage therethrough forthe food items, means for parallel moving said fingers away from eachother to circumferentially expand simultaneously substantially theentire length of an elastic film bag sheathed over the terminal end ofsaid fingers to a larger perimeter than the item to be packaged therein,parallel pivotally mounted members movable inwardly and towards saidfingers to bridge the spaces formed between the fingers upon their beingmoved apart to expandthe bag and extending from the fingers end oppositethe terminal end to at least the open end of the sheathed bag, means forconveying the item through the passage and into the sheathed bag,'andmeans to remove the bag and its inserted item from the terminal ends ofthe fingers.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein said parallel movable fingerscomprise, top and bottom, vertically movable fingers and a pair ofhorizontally movable side fingers, said bottom finger being movableproportionally less than said side finger, and said top finger beingmovable proportionally more than said fingers.

3. An apparatus adapted for packaging a food item having attachedprojecting movable parts in a bag of elastic film, comprising, aplurality of parallel movable fingers forming a conforming passagetherethrough for the food items, means for parallel moving said fingersaway from each other to circumferentially expand simultaneouslysubstantially the entire length of an elastic film bag sheathed over theterminal end of said fingers to a larger perimeter than the item to bepackaged therein, said fingers each having an outwardly curved portionon its end opposite the terminal end to guide the item into the passageleading into the bag sheathed over the fingers terminal ends, parallelpivotally mounted plates movable inwardly and towards said fingers tobridge the spaces formed between the fingers upon their being movedapart to expand the bag and extending from the fingers outwar-dly curvedportion to at least the open end of the sheathed bag, said bridgedspaces being in the line of movement of'the items projecting movableparts, means for conveying the item through the passage and into thesheathed bag, and means to remove the bag and its inserted item from theterminal ends of the fingers.

4. An apparatus adapted for packaging a food item in a bag of elasticfilm, comprising, a plurality of parallel mounted fingers forming aconforming passage therethrough for the food item means for paralleloutwardly moving said fingers away from each other to circumferenmeansfor bridging spaces between the outwardly moved fingers, a troughterminating at the entrance to said passage, a pair of pivotally mountedvertical guide plates afiixed to said trough and resiliently urgabletowards each other to form a tapered passage having its apex adjacentthe entrance of said passage, means for conveying the item along saidtrough and between the vertical guide plates and into the fingerpassage, means for pushing the item from the passage into the expandedbag and for removing the bag and its contained item while longitudinallyelastically stretching the bag over the item.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS FRANK E. BAILEY,Primary Examiner.

BROMLEY SEELEY, Examiner.

L, S. BO'UCHARD, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN APPARATUS ADAPTED FOR PACKAGING AN ITEM HAVING ATTACHED PROJECTINGMOVABLE PARTS IN A BAG OF ELASTIC FILM, COMPRISING, A PLURALITY OFPARALEL MOVABLE FINGERS FORMING A CONFORMING PASSAGE THERETHROUGH FORTHE FOOD ITEMS, MEANS FOR PARALLEL MOVING SAID FINGERS AWAY FROM EACHOTHER TO CIRCUMFERENTIALLY EXPAND SIMULTANEOUSLY SUBSTANTIALLY THEENTIRE LENGTH OF AN ELASTIC FILM BAG SHEATHED OVER THE TERMINAL END OFSAID FINGERS TO A LARGER PERIMETER THAN THE ITEM TO BE PACKAGED THEREIN,A PARALLEL PIVOTALLY MOUNTED MEMBERS MOVABLE INWARDLY AND TOWARDS SAIDFINGERS TO BRIDGE THE SPACES FORMED BETWEEN THE FINGERS UPON THEIR BEINGMOVED APART TO EXPAND THE BAG AND EXTENDING FROM THE FINGERS'' ENDOPPOSITE THE TERMINAL END TO AT LEAST THE OPEN END OF THE SHEATHED BAG,MEANS FOR CONVEYING THE ITEM THROUGH THE PASSAGE AND INTO THE SHEATHEDBAG, AND MEANS TO REMOVE THE BAG AND ITS INSERTED ITEM FROM THE TERMINALENDS OF THE FINGERS.